Improvement in railway-car couplings



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN NORRIS, OF BUCHANAN, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-CAR COUPLINGS.

To all 'whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NATHAN N osais, ofthe town of Buchanan., in the county of Berrien and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Improvement-in lar- Couplings;A

and I do declare that the following is a true and accurate description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to thelettersof' reference marked thereon, and being a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line x in Fig. 1. l

The nature of this invention relates to an improvement moar-couplings; and it consists in constructingthem with two coupling-bars attached to the draw-head, these bars each being provided at the connectingend `with a claw, which clutches into the opposite drawhead, as shown in Fig. 1. Between these couplin g-bars is placed a spring,which holds them in place. In connection with these, and on the opposite draw-head, are bars of the proper shape, operated by a lever from the platform of the car, by which the clutch'of the couplingbars' may be released and the cars uncoupled. When coupled the coupling-bars are further secured by means of a block forced between them by a lever operated from the platform of the car. i l Y In the drawings, A and A are the drawheads. The-draw-head A should be made of greater length vertically than A, so as to receive the coupling-bars in case one of the cars to be coupled should be higher than the other; B, the coupling-bars, having the claw b at the connecting end clutched into the draw-head A' at a and attached by pins c to the drawhead A.

O is the spring holding the coupling-bars in position, and D the block to aid the same purpose, operated by the lever D.

E are bars operated from the platform byl the lever E for the purpose of uncoupling the cars. When the draw-heads are brought together this coupling connects automatically, the dart-shaped claws of the coupling-bars sliding on the incline of the opposite drawhead till they pass the pointu, when the spring C forces them into position. The block D is then forced between the bars and holds them stift'in place.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars by moving the lever E the bars E force the coupling-bars together, releasing the clutch of the claw b from the draw-head and disconnecting the cars.

The advantages of this invention are thatit draws the cars closely together and can be entirel y operated from the platforms of the cars, thus relieving from the danger attending the use of a 4coupling which can only be operated by hand between them. The coupling-bars B, block D, bars E, and levers can at any time be removed and the ordinary link and pin used with these drawheads.

What I claim as my invention,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is v l. The coupling-bars B, provided each with the claw b, and connected and operated by the spring C, in connection with the drawheads A and A', when constructed as described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination ofthe draw-heads A A', the coupling-bars B, spring O, block D, lever D, bars E, and lever E', substantially as and for the purposes set forth. y

1. M. WEAVER, CHARLES SNYDER. 

